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Saintly Dancer shows her class in Thousand Guineas

New Zealand-bred filly Saintly Dancer completed a notable spring double with victory in the A$1.5 million Gr.1 Stow Storage Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The daughter of St Mark’s Basilica became the sixth filly in the last 30 years to win both the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) and the Guineas, joining Inaflury (1998), Special Harmony (2003), Alinghi (2004), Gallica (2008) and Amphitrite (2018). A maiden winner at Sandown in August, Saintly Dancer stepped o...

Meet the Team: Monica Jones

Born and raised on a dairy farm in the heart of Taranaki, but based in Cambridge since 2021, Monica joined the team a little over a year ago.She never wanted to be a farmer when she grew up, and choose to study mechanical engineering at Waikato University, but she’s here now and loving life on a horse farm.She got her start in the industry mucking out boxes at a racing stable and worked her way from the ground up to strapping on race day.  She then made the jump from racing stable to foal...

Fraudster the real deal in Ashburton feature

Exciting three-year-old Fraudster made full use of his significant early pace and a strong on speed track bias to give his rivals a view of nothing but his disappearing rump as he raced clear to claim his first victory at stakes level in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. The Kenny Rae-prepared son of Profiteer had won twice at his home base at Ruakaka before being sent south by Rae to continue a preparation aimed at the Gr.1 Al Basti Eq...

Saintly Dancer has Hawkins dreaming of Guineas glory

The Hawkins family are hoping Saintly Dancer can go a couple of places better than former star graduate Lickety Split in the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday week.The Wentwood Grange-bred filly emerged as a leading contender with a dominant six-length win in the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.It was a familiar result for the Cambridge nursery, which won the same race four years ago with Lickety Split, who subsequently finished third in the Thousand Guinea...

Saintly Dancer spectacular in Edward Manifold

A six-length blitz by Saintly Dancer in the A$300,000 Gr.2 TAB One Pool Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday continued an outstanding start to the Australasian three-year-old filly season for the Hawkins family’s Llanhennock Trust and Wentwood Grange.Saintly Dancer was bred by Llanhennock Trust and offered under their Wentwood Grange banner at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where First Light Racing and Cia...

Hawea downs quality field in Gold Trail Stakes

Despite some anxious moments loading into the starting gates and a tough trip in transit, classy filly Hawea still managed to claim an impressive victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 HBPB Thoroughbred Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings. Trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, who won the event last year with Lollapalooza, had the daughter of Hellbent primed for the contest after an impressive first-up win at Taupo last month. However, Hawea decid...

Nonu impresses at the trials

The greatest racehorse ever bred and raced in Australia by Godolphin, Anamoe won nine Group I races and was the Australian Horse of the Year in 2022/2023, so there was plenty of interest at the official 2YO trials at Randwick on Monday morning when his very first 2YO’s stepped out and they did not disappoint.Anamoe had two runners and both of them won with Bjorn Baker trained colt Nonu creating a great impression with a three and a half length win in 49.02 seconds with Jason Collett in the sad...

Wentwood Grange fillies shining this spring

Last year’s Karaka yearling sale draft is proving to be a vintage crop for Cambridge farm Wentwood Grange, with several of their fillies shining this spring, including Sweetest Thing, who recorded her maiden stakes success in Saturday’s Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.It was Sweetest Thing’s first start for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, with the filly joining their barn after being purchased by Glentree Racing out of Roydon Bergerson’s Awapuni stable...

Meet the Team: Phillipa Lines

Where does your passion for horses come from? It’s in my name. Phillipa means lover of horse. I always wanted a pony. I learnt to ride at 9, got my first pony at 10. My family isn’t really horseyHow did you get started in the thoroughbred industry? I always wanted to work with horses. When I left school I worked on a stud in Cambridge, right next door to where Wentwood now standsWhat is your favorite part about working at Wentwood Grange? Foaling with Des and Dean, the support we have and th...

Hawea stunning in fillies’ feature

The first running of the Chittick Family Fillies Classic (1100m) at stakes level was justified when Matamata filly Hawea put away a classy field in stunning fashion. The Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-trained filly was resuming off two trials in the $100,000 feature, starting at $15 in a market favouring Miss Janet and Latoya. In an even line at the jump, it was Phillyjean who dashed out to take the early lead while Hawea settled out the back under jockey Wiremu Pinn. Still a clea...

Meet the Team: Rebecca Donovan

Born and raised in Northland Rebecca has been apart of  the Wentwood Grange team for three years. The recipient of the 2024 Sunline Trust Management Scholarship, this will be her first season as our newly appointed Broodmare Manager. Where does your passion for horses come from? I was lucky enough to be introduced to horses before I could walk, as my parents had a small stud breeding purebred Clydesdales and sport horses. I’ve been around the breeding side of the industry for as...

Touchdown too good at Flemington

Comeback jockey Blake Shinn has predicted a black-type future for New Zealand-bred galloper Touchdown, who lived up to his reputation and hot favouritism with a dominant victory in the A$130,000 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m) at Flemington on Saturday.The son of Almanzor made eye-catching progress through the grades as a four-year-old last season, winning four of his six starts between September and January.Touchdown earned plenty of attention...

2YO stakes victory for Back Of The Bus

Wentwood graduate Back Of The Bus took out the final stakes race of the New Zealand Racing Season, the Listed Phils Electrical & Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Ōtaki on Thursday.The two-year-old daughter of Hello Youmzain, was piloted by jockey Lisa Allpress, who returned from an 18-month injury-enforced absence, less than three weeks ago.Back Of The Bus had already shown plenty of ability over winter, having won The Lawn Shed Winter Series – 2YO Final (1200m) at Ellerslie la...

Meet the team: Brooke Hawthorne

Born and raised in Cambridge, Brooke joined the Wentwood Grange team nine-years ago working her first yearling prep at the age of 14. Now 24, you will still find her every day up at the yearling barn, behind the camera capturing all things WWG or at the Sales. At the age of 18 she set off over to Australia where she worked at the likes of Yarraman Park and Lindsay Park racing (where she piloted Mr Brightside for the 2023 season in his trackwork).All while only ever missing one Karaka Sale f...

Te Akau trio head to Gold Coast

A trio of Te Akau Racing’s high-quality mares will head to the Gold Coast next month where they will be offered at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale ahead of commencing the next stage of their careers.The trio comprise of Group One winners Captured By Love and Quintessa and Group Three winner My Lips Are Sealed, and they will be offered through Newgate’s consignment.“They are mares with proven performance, quality pedigrees and the physical attributes we believe are so important w...

Inglis TV: Super Seth x Beela Hudood sale

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Inglis TV Sale Wrap

Hear from Dean Hawkins following the sale of our sale topping yearling Ghaiyyath x Berg En Dal colt, below. ...

Ghaiyyath colt fetches $625,000 as Inglis Classic ends on a high

Tony and Calvin McEvoy lodged a ringing vote of confidence in Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) as the Darley shuttler took another great leap in his burgeoning career by emerging with the auction topper as the third most successful Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in history wrapped on Tuesday.Team McEvoy paired with regular partner Damon Gabbedy’s Belmont Bloodstock to pay $625,000 for the imposing colt, offered as Lot 668 by New Zealand’s Wentwood Grange stud, making him Classic’s highest-priced lot ...

Gerard Doubles Down on The NZB Kiwi

By LOVERACING.NZ News DeskMatamata trainer Pam Gerard has doubled her representation in the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), with Slot Holder Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) announcing Affirmative Action (AUS) (Yes Yes Yes) as their representative in the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race.The Yes Yes Yes gelding will join stablemate Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo) in the Champions Day feature at Ellerslie on 7 March, after he secured the Canterbury Jockey Club’s slo...

Rutten has sweet tooth for KM 2YO

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskChris Rutten has a knack for selecting Karaka Millions 2YO contenders, and he looks to have struck again, this time with the Roydon Bergerson-trained Sweetest Thing.The daughter of Hello Youmzain impressed when runner-up to Lassified in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) at Trentham on Saturday, with her runner-up cheque of $18,500 putting her on the cusp of qualifying for the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions (1200m) at El...

Mary Shan stuns El Vencedor in Challenge Stakes

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskBlack-type success has always seemed to be a matter of when and not if for highly talented mare Mary Shan, but few would have expected it to come at the expense of a $1.50 favourite and reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year.That was exactly what happened in the Gr.3 Bayleys Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday as Mary Shan flew out of the pack to bomb El Vencedor right on the finish line and reinforce the fact that...

Favorite yearling posts career highlight

Dean Hawkins admits to shedding a tear or two when With Your Blessing was sold as a yearling.The family offered the stunning looking youngster under their Wentwood Grange banner at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Classic Sale where he left the ring with a A$70,000 price tag.“He was absolutely beautiful as a yearling and, hand on heart, the only horse that I’ve loved that much that I cried when he was sold, he was my all-time favourite horse,” Hawkins said.The son of Vadamos has since earned more...

With Your Blessing all the way for Bill Ritchie breakthrough

New Zealand-bred gelding With Your Blessing capped a consistent run of form with his first black-type success in Saturday’s A$250,000 Gr.3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick.The Vadamos gelding progressed through the grades last season with a pair of Randwick victories – an 1100m Benchmark 78 handicap on January 4, followed by a 1300m Benchmark 88 just over a month later. Trainer John Thompson then stepped him up into stakes company and he finished second in a phot...

Resurgent Quintessa reigns in Proisir Plate

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskThe early spring has tended to bring the very best out of Quintessa, and that trend continued at Ellerslie on Saturday with a spectacular last-to-first performance at $36 odds in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate.The $400,000 weight-for-age triumph came almost exactly a year after the Te Akau Racing mare’s last win, which was a first-up victory in the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 31 last year. Another 12 months before that, she kicked her t...

Affirmative Action springs massive upset at Ellerslie

Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZTrainer Pam Gerard had been confident of a good showing from her lightly raced three-year-old Affirmative Action and that’s exactly what she got when the showy gelding upset the applecart at a Fixed Odds quote of $91 when taking out the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie.The son of the 2019 Everest (1200m) winner Yes Yes Yes had finished third behind To Bravery Born over 1100m at Taupo last month and improved markedly for Saturday’s first stakes ...